From what I've seen, niche movies like this (in America) get eitherA. A road show where it shows in different cities during different weeks.B. A normal limited release where it opens in a few hundred theaters on the same dayorC. A simulcast for only one or two showings at potentially thousands of theaters.

My understanding is that the previous Rebuild movies did a roadshow, and Shin Godzilla did a limited release. I don't know what Funimation will do for the final one. And I have no idea how this stuff works in other English-apeaking countries.

As for the theatrical release, I'm thinking they'll do a limited release for Shin Eva in the United States, or maybe even a simulcast release. Anime in theaters is becoming a bit more common now, what with GKids and Fandom anime events popping up in theaters every summer, which was a thing that we didn't have when Eva Q and Eva Ha rolled out in American theaters. I'm hoping that I can just go to one of the few theaters in the area that screen Ghibli movies every summer and watch Shin Eva there.

I'm also secretly hoping that Ghibli audiences somehow get mixed into the Evangelion release. I always like seeing someone's worldview change before my very eyes. But a lot of the people who come to these types of events are probably already familiar enough to at least distinguish between the "cute anime" and the "weird anime."

Well, someone will release DVD here for sure and that's everything I can count on, since anime has idiotic reputation in this idiotic country. Yes, they tried to introduce it to theatres with Mononoke Hime and Spirited Away, but apparently the revenues seriously displeased the samurai lords of the filmmaking industry, cause since then there was no other attempt.

A curio: 1.11 was released with title translated to Polish: (Nie) jesteś sam. With 2.22 they quickly went back to English, since they'd have to translate it as (Nie) możesz się dalej posuwać. This is a slang phrase for You can (not) still masturbate.

In my spirit lies my faithStronger than love and with me it will beFor always- Mike Wyzgowski & Sagisu Shiro

Best Case Scenario (in my opinion):Funimation gets it and they follow what they did with Shin Godzilla.With Toho & Toei explicitly involved in the final film there will be no years long pause between domestic & international run. They will want a smooth international rollout and neither Khara or Funimation or any distribution house will be able to allowed to hold things up.The film will theatrically play in like 800 locations (in the US at least) a handful of times a couple of months after the Japanese premiere. Some showings will be subtitled. Some will be dubbed. This will be run off a DCP and not a Blu-Ray/DVD like the previous three films so the image quality will be pristine.If we're lucky a handful of theaters in major markets may get to run the movie with regular daily showtimes for a week or two. Then six months to a year after the Japanese home video release the movie will get a Blu-Ray/DVD release. Again, Toho & Toei won't allow any long gaps between releases. Dependent on when the film is released in Japan the movie could run theatrically in the US in late 2020 or early 2021. Movie will most likely be available on home video in the US at some point in 2021.

Worst Case Scenario (in my opinion): Netflix overbids or has already overbid Funimation by millions and gets the film.Drops the film online one day.There is no opportunity for international audiences to see the film theatrically unless they go to Japan during the theatrical run. There is no chance of a physical media release.

ErgoProxy wrote:A curio: 1.11 was released with title translated to Polish: (Nie) jesteś sam. With 2.22 they quickly went back to English, since they'd have to translate it as (Nie) możesz się dalej posuwać. This is a slang phrase for You can (not) still masturbate.

I don't see a problem with the 2.22 translation. It Actually fits given the EoE.